Red Snow Purged
by DemonFox38
Summary: Kratos swore himself off from interfering with Yggdrasil after his battle with Lloyd at Heimdall. However, with a church kidnapping and sacrificing victims to an unnamed angel, he has decided to take up the sword once more . . .for Lloyd's sake.
1. Part I: Pestilience

Akakatta desu Yuri Kiyoumemashita

_Red Snow Purged_

_Fore Note:_

_Don't own Tales of Symphonia, nor Tales studio, nor Namco, etc, etc. _

Part I: Pestilence

The night air was frosted over, left cold and bitter by more than the weather. No one should have been awake in the bustling winter town of Flanoir. A soft snow was falling, gently padding the world with a cushion. Indigo skies absorbed the orange lanterns hanging in the streets, merrily keeping guard over the sleepy world. And indeed, the world was asleep to everything—the night, the dangers of winter, and the faint miasma of death.

He had promised himself not to interfere. His power should not be used again to alter fate, not anymore. However, outside of himself, there were his other identities. He was a father, a leader, and a mercenary all in one. The leader told him that this would be going against his old alliances and could endanger his purpose, and the mercenary told him not to throw his emotions into this matter. However, the father's argument was the most compelling of all. It told him that his son was in grave trouble, and that he had a duty to protect his child.

Kratos Aurion finally assumed the position he was meant to be. He was supposed to be a father, and he would prove it through means of the mercenary and the leader. Moving through the land of dreams and sorrows, he was no more than just a shadow in the night. He paused to watch the snow fall on, wondering if his decision was right. He whispered to no one, "Shoganai," and moved on.

Past the stores and medical offices, Aurion walked to stand in front of a great cathedral. Its stone walls were smooth, growing up endlessly into the sky. Pillars were grandly carved, bracing the church against its own beauty and weight. Purple and blue stained glass windows reflected the aura of the night and the man in front of itself, occasionally winking with a yellow or red piece. It was a beautiful place, but it harbored many evils. This is why Aurion had to purge it and make it pure again.

Aurion grimaced, "The highest always have the furthest to fall." From what he had gathered, the church was practicing inquisition rituals and beatings once more. No bodies had been found, but the church perpetually smelt of coal and blood. Even the church's own members were afraid to attend service there. He felt only pity for them, and for the unfortunate caught within the cathedral.

He looked up. Someone had jumped from the steeple!

It was like watching a swan fall to its death. A beautiful girl had leapt out from the top of the cathedral, diving gracefully with arms swept out. Aurion had no second thoughts. With a majestic flutter, he sprouted blue wings and soared into the air. He caught the girl, almost knocked back by the force of her descent. After he stopped to comprehend all of this, he gently flew back down and slid the girl to the cold snowy ground.

"Chos—Colette," Aurion addressed the girl, "Are you alright?"

Colette Brunel could have easily saved herself by flying, since she was as Aurion is—a human that evolved into a pseudo-angelic form. However, as he quickly noticed, she was missing the very thing that allowed her to do this. Her red Cruxis crystal was missing from its crest on her throat. It became evident to Aurion that she meant to kill herself as he looked over the wounds all over her graceful body. Knife cuts, whip marks, bruises from a blunt object; all of these were present. Even her blue eyes ached with pain.

Brunel cried into his purple shirt, shuddering, "I'm a coward." He wrapped his overcoat around her, trying to comfort her. She kept hiccupping, "Don't go in there. They tricked us all. They'll . . ."

"Hush," Aurion cradled the girl, walking away from the view of the church. He waited in an alleyway next to an item shop, waiting, "Kowaiku nai. It will be okay."

Aurion was not foolish enough to believe it could do this without some help. In hiding stood his brooding partner. The man was not all that thrilled about assisting Aurion with his personal agendas, but his friend had pleaded long enough to drive him into helping. Arms crossed and cape folded over his shoulder, the blue-haired man glowed with an aura of impatience. He was less than happy to see what Aurion had brought with him.

The man simply known as Yuan frowned, "Kratos, what is it now?"

"Get this girl to the inn," Aurion slipped him a satchel of coins, "Take care of her. I'll have more coming to you, so get a large room."

Yuan took the girl with great care, gently holding her under his own cape, "If it means this much to you."

Aurion did not like the cross remark, "It means the world to me. Doing this . . ." He couldn't imagine the consequences, but he was ready to take them, "Yggdrasil will know finally that I am not on his side. I hope he chokes on what I'm about to do."

"I'm only doing this because I feel this is what Martel would want," Yuan snarled, reassuring himself, "Gambatte."

"Yoroshiku," Aurion was short on sending Yuan on his task, but he did appreciate what the man was doing for him. That's why he didn't have him come in and fight with him. Aurion was apprehensive who or what he might find inside the cathedral, and he was afraid of whom would be dead or need to be. He then gently told Brunel, "He will not hurt you. Don't come for me."

With that cold remark, he left both his friend and the angel girl to fight. He carefully approached the cathedral doors and pushed them open. The heavy oak bent to his wishes, opening to a warm and relatively innocent sanctuary. Monks and nuns lined the pews, murmuring in prayer. They did not notice their visitor, nor the blast of cold air he had brought with him. It was as he was invisible. Aurion appreciated that about the devout—nothing earthly ever seemed to bother them.

To keep in hiding, he snuck into a pew in the back and began to kneel. While he was praying, he began to make notes about the church. There were two doors next to the table sitting in the front, and yet no one seemed to enter or exit them. He couldn't see blood, but he could smell it. It was mostly obscured by the scent of coal, so he knew there had to be a furnace or a fireplace around somewhere. Grimly, he considered that it could be used for burning evidence.

"Sir, can I get you anything?"

Aurion looked up, and his heart panged a little. There was a young girl staring at him, dressed in little better than street clothes. He knew most of the attendants of the church should be robed, but this was not the case here. Her blue eyes were large, hiding some shock. Aurion didn't like the looks of this—the girl's name was Presea Combatir, and he knew her as one of Lloyd's friends. It seemed that not even the children were spared from imprisonment in the cathedral.

"Yes," Aurion whispered, bowing his head, "An explanation would be a good start."

Combatir frowned, softly speaking, "I will get Genis. We need to talk."

Aurion nodded, and let the girl go on her way. As he continued faking to pray, he noticed some of the nuns looking at him. He happened to glance up to his left and see what they were interested in. Above his head was an ornate glass window of one of the four angels of Cruxis. Well, actually, himself. In the Martel religion, the church was aware of the presence of the four high seraphim, but they portrayed them as guardians of the people. It was amusing to be sitting next to his own mythological image, a proud and handsome warrior wielding his sword against demons and malevolent spirits. He passed the nuns' curiosity off as nothing and kept on with his act.

Combatir returned shortly with Genis Sage. Both had brought him sacramental objects so that it looked like he was making a private confession. They beckoned him to follow them into a hidden confessional box off to the side, where they could talk without being spied upon. He appreciated their cunning.

Sage was the first to ecstatically greet Aurion, "Kratos! How did you find out?"

"There were rumors among some of the population of Iselia that one rogue church had begun to offer sacrifices to Martel," Aurion explained, "This of course is not ordained by any doctrine. It's unusual."

Combatir seemed surprised, "How did such news get across to Sylvarant?"

Aurion decided, "I suppose through the Renegades. I asked Yuan about it, and he confirmed it for me."

Sage was shocked, "Yuan's here?" He almost couldn't believe that two angels of the previous Cruxis alliance would actually work together again.

"Yes. He has escorted Colette to the inn of Flanoir," Aurion detailed, "She was severely injured. Do you know anything of this?"

Combatir hesitated, and then spoke for the duo, "The church originally captured both her and Zelos from our party. Raine, Genis, and myself foolishly broke off from the party one night to find them, but instead were caught. Later, Regal came and tried to barter our freedom. I do not know what has become of him. Then, they found Lloyd trying to spy on the church and threw him into the chambers below us. Sheena . . ."

"We haven't heard any word from her," Sage sighed, "We hope she's still all right."

Aurion slowly ran through all of this information, slowly beginning to piece the situation together. He nodded after some time, grateful for what they could tell him. He thanked them, "I appreciate your help." He then thought again, and asked, "Is there anything else I should know?"

Both Sage and Combatir nervously glance at each other, not sure what to do. Sage seemed to surrender something, nodding sadly at Combatir. She frowned, knowing whatever they were planning was the right thing. She responded, "Go downstairs. You'll pass a furnace room, and then you'll enter several corridors with prison cells. Lloyd is still alive, so . . .you should concern yourself with saving him, first."

"Is there anybody that has died?", Aurion seemed shocked with her response. It was like both were afraid of something happening, but wouldn't tell him.

Sage corrected him angrily, "There won't be, if you get our friends all out of here by tonight! Otherwise . . ." He couldn't confess what was on his heart.

Aurion accepted that. He knew better than to challenge any more information out of them. Getting up, he nodded his thanks, "All right. I will be going down. In the meantime, I wish for you to leave this place. Go to the inn. Yuan will be expecting you."

"Leave? But if I leave, they'll—", Combatir was flustered by his orders, "No. We'll go." She obviously knew more than she was telling Aurion, but she couldn't bring herself to telling it. If he was successful, then it wouldn't matter anyway. Covering her doubts, she told Aurion, "Here. Drink this wine. It will look suspicious if you don't take it."

He took the wine cup from her and quickly drank it, knowing that it wouldn't be enough to intoxicate him. The two children escorted him out of the confessional, returning to their station to put the chalice back. Aurion continued moving past the nuns and monks, hiding in the pillars and shadows until he made his way to the door leading down to the furnace. He watched as the two children slowly made their way to the door, and then calmly exited. _Good, _he thought to himself,_ it is best that the children are not involved in this_.

He quietly opened the door to the furnace room, and stepped into the fiery hells it held.

_Author's Note:_

_Everyone has to have a Kratos story. So, this is my Kratos story—a dark, angsty little number peppered with the occasional Japanese sentence or two. And later on, blood and ass kicking. Somebody's gonna get smote! _

_I came up with this idea from the events of the Spanish Inquisition and Edgar Allen Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum. Plus, I always thought the Flanoir church looked cool, so this is my evil little twist on it. I'm actually surprised that Tales of Symphonia didn't have more "church inquisition" action in it! Maybe I'm just not seeing it. Oh, well._

_Next chapter will pick up some steam. Literally. Hope you are enjoying so far! _


	2. Part II: Famine

Part II: Famine

The heavy underbelly of the cathedral of Flanoir was much worse than Kratos had originally predicted. Gravity seemed to double under the sweltering heat. Everything was black or burning, a stench of decay wafting in with the burning of coal. If he had a choice, the angel would have thrown off his heavy overcoat on a pew on the first floor. That would threaten being discovered, and he couldn't risk it. Not tonight.

Walking down the stone stairwell coiling around the furnace room like a serpent, he braced himself against the scene below. As he descended, more monstrosities unfolded. First, there was not one large furnace like a cathedral of this size would have. There were at least six large ovens that were not meant for traditional heating. Then, there were many men attending the fires, stoking it and throwing things into it. At first, it looked like wood and coal. As he continued going down, Aurion realized that wasn't the only thing they were putting in the fireplaces. He almost wretched as he watched one man carry something that looked like a dried animal and throw it into the oven. It didn't take a calculating genius to figure out what was going on. This was the disposal of the dead bodies of the churches' victims.

Aurion crouched under the stairwell, looking for anything that could be a door to where Lloyd was being held. Several burly and foul smelling guards past by him, ignoring how he was watching everything carefully. It looked like there was nothing in immediate sight. He leaned out of the stairwell, still searching for the doorway to the prisons. It had to be down here. Genis and Presea would not lie about something like this.

"Hey, you! What are you doing?"

His heart nearly leapt up into his throat. He calmed down as he realized it was a guard rebuking a prisoner for failing to keep up with his tasks. Aurion crossed himself, thankful no one had found him. It was just a matter of scouting out the entire perimeter without being caught. He could do that—he had done many more difficult tasks.

"To your right, second door," someone kindly whispered to him.

Aurion about jumped out of his skin. He dragged his accomplice under the stairwell with him, still hiding from the guards. He snapped, "Don't sneak up on me!"

His friendly adviser frowned, "I'm sorry." Soot and grime caked his clothing, sticking to his matted blue hair. He managed to keep a calm appearance, even under shackles and this unfortunate situation. To reassure this, he apologized, "Lloyd never told me that you were this unstable."

"I'm not," Aurion growled, "It's beyond the point. How did you know that I was looking for Lloyd?"

Regal Bryant smirked, one of the rare instances he did, "It's only nature for a father to come and protect his child." His demeanor then slipped back into a melancholy state, "It is fortunate that you have come. I'm sure you've heard what is going to happen to the Chosens tonight."

Aurion had his ideas, but he liked to have things spelled out for him occasionally, "I assume it has something to do with the rumors of sacrifices."

"Yes. Colette and Zelos are to be offered to an angel for sacrifice tonight, as well as two others. . .", Bryant murmured, "They were selected randomly, or so the priests say. It appears they have other motives for this."

Aurion tried to improve their conversation, "They will not have Miss Brunel tonight. She has escaped, as well as young Sage and Combatir. I have come solely to free Lloyd and his friends, but I should not be afraid to slay anyone that gets in my path."

Bryant looked shocked, but said nothing. He sighed, his heart sinking heavily. Aurion did not understand why he was so grave, but did not question it. Instead, he asked, "Presea did not know where you were. Why?"

"She lied to you," Bryant slowly explained, gaining some strength, "She knew I was down here. It was part of the deal I struck with the priests."

Aurion remembered that, "She did mention you tried to make a deal. For what?"

Bryant folded his legs under him, sitting down, "I made a barter for her life. As long as I was to serve the priests as manual labor, they would not harm her. If I tried to flee, they would kill her. It was all I could do to keep her safe." He added to that, "Raine did the same for Genis. She's working in the laundry on the second floor, I believe." He seemed to be avoiding Aurion's sharp gaze, although the angelic human could not understand why. Something else was getting in the way of Aurion fully comprehending the situation.

"If it is as you say, then my bargain is forfeit," Bryant mused, "I will help you get to the prisons. Would a distraction assist you?"

Aurion hadn't considered help, but he was more than grateful to get it. Resting one hand on his sheath, he began to observe the movements of the guards again. He nodded, "Do what you feel is necessary. I am going to start moving towards the prisons." He then scurried away from the hiding spot under the stairs, stealthy running towards his destination. With some regret, Bryant bowed his head, and then returned back to the mindless and soulless task of burning bodies. He was going to make this look as natural as possible.

Grabbing a metal pail and a small stirring rod for the flames, he scooped some charred debris and embers into it and sat it carefully on the floor. Bryant closed his eyes, focusing his mind, and then made one unfortunate guard his target. He carefully touched the side of the pail with his shoe, and then sharply kicked it into the side of the guard. The man's arms and torso caught fire, leaving small but numerous burns. It was enough to incur the wrath of the entire nest of guards.

Aurion watched in fear as they grabbed Bryant by his wrists, watching the human struggle to break free but ultimately failing. He quickly bolted into his door and threw the latch, heart pounding. Aurion caught his breath, listening for anything that would indicate that he was found, but there was nothing. At least, nothing that would directly harm him. Scuttling of armor, shouts, random cries, something heavy falling, a crack of leather—Aurion felt something quiver in his soul. It had to be done to get to Lloyd, though. He ran from the door, beginning his search down the pale and grim prison halls.

The prisons seemed to be a blue color, probably due to the lack of light and the damp runoff from the storm drains and sewers. Aurion ignored both the stench of the dungeon, occasionally brushing a spider web away if it displeased him. Torches lined the walls, burning softly in tune with the dripping from above. Passing an unattended corpse, Aurion shuddered. He didn't want to believe his child could be in such a dreary place as this.

It seemed that there were no living people in this corridor. Anyone that could have been alive looked embraced in death's slumber. Aurion tried ignoring the corpses and unconscious, knowing there was nothing he could do about them. He turned another corner, only meeting a rat along the way. If only he could be as comfortable around rats as he was with the dead.

Finally, someone relieved the tension in this soul, "Dad? Dad, is that you?"

"Lloyd!", the words escaped Aurion like soda from a disturbed bottle. He jolted to the cell that Lloyd had called from, assuring his son, "I'm here. I've come to set you free. Are you all right?"

Lloyd looked arguably well, considering he had spent the past three days in an underground dungeon. There were a few bruises and cuts on his face, probably from some kind of beatings. He was unarmed, but he still had his sword sheaths. He was more than happy about seeing his dad, above everything else.

Lloyd cheerfully answered his father, "Kratos, how did you find out? Are you all right? How's your wound from Heimdall?"

Kratos smiled, finally feeling somewhat joyful, "It's all right, Lloyd. Anyway, it doesn't matter how I found you. We need to leave, as soon as possible." He took out his sword, jamming it into the lock of the cell. It shattered as he broke it open, pushing it to the side. He offered his hand to Lloyd, helping him get up. He had completed half of his trial. Now, just to get out alive.

"Wait. We need to find the others," Lloyd corrected his dad, hurrying behind them as they went back to the entrance, "They're going to be killed, otherwise!"

Aurion hesitated, telling what had happened so far, "I've heard. Zelos and Colette are to be sacrificed tonight. I have evacuated Colette, Genis, and Presea already." Lloyd stopped, like if lightening had struck him. Kratos didn't understand, "Lloyd, what's wrong?"

". . .we still need to save Raine, Zelos, and Regal. I haven't heard about Sheena yet, so I hope she's still okay," Lloyd withdrew some information, but then offered some ideas, "We could go up to the second floor. My weapons and our exspheres are there. Then, we just need to locate Raine and Regal, and then we sneak upstairs and get Zelos out of the bell tower. That's where they sacrifice people. Maybe after that, we could go and destroy their materials so no one else can get killed!"

"Lloyd, you're rambling," Kratos lightly corrected his son. The angelic human thought through the flurry of words, and then decided that Lloyd had a pretty good plan staked out. He agreed, "All right. It seems that Raine is on the second floor, and I just talked with Regal some time ago. We can probably make it all the way up quickly if we do not take detours in our course of action."

Lloyd smiled, agreeing, "All right, Dad. I know we can do it!"

Aurion was happy that his son was eager to help him, "But no fighting for you until we get you armed again. I can't risk your health in this matter. Now, we need to be silent for a little bit."

He found the door he had come through and unlocked it. Gently, he pushed it open and stepped back into the hive of heat and destruction. Lloyd followed him, both creeping along the sides and behind the furnaces. He slithered back into his original hiding spot under the stairs, looking for both his time to escape and his associate. Aurion's face paled and froze into marble stone, noticing how it deathly quiet it seemed.

Lloyd broke his rule, whispering, "Dad, is this where you talked with Regal?"

Lloyd hadn't seen all that Aurion had. He noticed a faint trail of embers where the incident had taken place, and nobody approached it. The guards were solemn once again, continuing their task. He slunk up the stairs, glancing up and around for new evidence of what had happened. He accidentally placed his hand on a bloody spot on the wall, still fresh. It led all the way up the stairs in faint spots. Placing his shoulder against the wall, he assumed that someone had braced himself or herself against the wall as they had gone up. Eyes tracing back down the stairs, he saw a puddle on the floor that looked like blood had run off something. He was afraid he understood what had happened to Bryant.

"Dad? Did you hear me?"

Aurion responded shortly, "It doesn't matter now, Lloyd. Come with me. We shall have to go to the second floor."

His son was apprehensive, "Dad, what happened here?"

Kratos only asked of his son, "What do they do to people who fight against the guards?"

"Usually, they're taken to be judged whether or not they can be sacrificed or if they have to be killed outright," Lloyd was now scared and confused, "Dad, what's going on?"

Aurion shivered, even in the hellish warmth of the furnace room, "It's nothing. Let's go."

Kratos was thankful for Bryant's generosity and Lloyd's naivety, but he wondered what it was going to cost them.

* * *

Author's Note/ Answers to the Reviewers:

_I'm sure by this time you're catching on to how I'm naming my chapters. If you didn't know, it's the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Yay, Revelations! Anyway, I've never done this before, so here I am answering some questions/responding to the reviews I've received (since about 3:32 PM on July 1st):_

Bballstar42 & blah: _If I've got my plotline right, this should take place after releasingOrigin's seal in Heimdall but before finally defeating Mithos. Most likely, it's __after the party has picked up the Derris Emblem. From the way this is written, __I hope it's obvious this event wouldn't occur in the realm of the Kratos ending. _

_And in most cases, blah is right—Lloyd & co. should be able to overpower__anyone at this point. That is, if they have their exspheres equipped. Right now, __they don't, but the problem will be later addressed and fixed in Chapter 3. Good __catch! (I don't think anyone in their right mind would keep any of them captive __and not remove their exspheres, but the game's villains do it all the time!)_

Vocalsama & Miss Raine Sage_: Glad you're enjoying! I'm happy to hear from ya:D_

Satanic Mechanic and Ark Navy_: The random Japanese probably is a little distracting. Ijust threw it in there for fun. My original plan was to write anything anyone saidin Japanese, but my sister/ beta reader dissed the idea. Sometimes, I feelspeaking is overrated. The phrases are just things like "There's no other way","Don't be afraid", "Good luck", and "I appreciate this." In that order, too. :P_

_And Satanic Mechanic is right on about the last name thing! I want Kratos to look cold towards others—well, except for Lloyd. He likes his son. :D Kratos always came off very distant to me, so that's my way of showing it. He's a nice guy, but he's just not very cuddly._

_I'm glad you're both enjoying the cold and dark setting of the story. Well, maybe it wasn't so cold this chapter, but it was dark. I never thought of it being like the DaVinci Code, but that's cool too. I go through these little religious spats at least once a year. This year, I decided I was happy I wasn't being hunted for my religion. But, I digress. _

_Anyway, I'm hoping everyone's enjoying this story. I'm having a hell of a lot of fun writing it!_


	3. Part III: Death

Part III: Death

The aptly named second floor was much different from the basement and its dungeons and furnaces. The floors were a smooth maple with a purple carpet rolled between all the rooms and halls. Oil lanterns provided light, hanging from suspensions in the ceiling. The walls were a white pattern with green flowers, half-paneled with wood that matched the floor. It could have been a very homey part of the cathedral. That is, if it weren't for the murders, the brutality, and the evil that tainted its existence.

Kratos Aurion had dropped into a very somber and silent stance, leading his son through the passages of the second floor. He was searching every room, for weapons or exspheres or even any allies. His son followed him just as quietly, always watching their backs so no one could find them. Both had been given a lot to get up to this point in the church. If it weren't for Yuan's assistance, Genis and Presea's information and bluffs, or Regal's distraction, they would have most likely been caught and killed.

"Sweet!", Lloyd forgot to keep quiet. Kratos had broken into an office, and around the desk were revoked weapons and materials. Lloyd quickly recovered his swords, kissing them as he put them back in their sheaths. He treated them like babies. Aurion had helped himself into the desk, picking up small gemstones and smiling. These were his son's and his party's expsheres. It was good that these didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Aurion lightly scolded his son, "Hush, Lloyd. We don't want to be found out." He tossed the boy his exsphere, who quickly re-equipped it. The humans who had taken it from him obviously had no idea of its value. Kratos had lost his wife to that damn stone, and he nearly lost his son too. It was supposed to be the most advanced and powerful exsphere in existence. Of course, if anyone had figured that out, it would have been hocked or equipped long ago. Humans were naïve like that, sometimes.

Lloyd looked around, taking a few other things into account, "Hey, should we grab everyone else's weapons?"

"I don't see why not," Kratos was pleased with his son's idea, "Find something. Make sure to arrange them so they won't clink around. Think like Miss Fujibayashi would."

Lloyd nodded, grabbing a burlap bag. He was able to fit a kendama, two chakrams, a pair of greaves, and a deck of cards in it. Lloyd then stole a broom, assuming that his professor could work with that if she needed to. He then found another sheath to put on his back, and he carefully placed an axe in that. Kratos took up another sword sheath and placed a shield on his back so Zelos could have his weapons. In this quick mayhem, Lloyd's mind picked up on something else weird.

"Uh . . .Dad, didn't you say that no one knew where Sheena was?", Lloyd asked.

Kratos's eyes brightened, "Yes, that was right. And you have her cards?" He paused a moment, not happy with this situation. He then look through his stash of exspheres, and confirmed his theory, "I would assume she has been captured too, then."

Lloyd frowned, "Man. If anyone could have gotten away, it would have been Sheena."

"Don't fret. We'll find her, too," Kratos assured his son. He then decided the room was not of any more use, "Come, now. We have some more business to attend to."

The two humans snuck back out of the office room, now walking around the halls once more. Aurion had assumed the lead, wanting to protect his son even if he was armed. It didn't seem like they were going anywhere, or maybe they were walking around in circles. He guessed he was just slightly confused because he was not used to this complex, but as he kept going, he was beginning to consider otherwise. They would eventually find something.

Or someone, "Excuse me, good sirs? May I help you?"

Aurion jumped, hand instantly on his hilt and drawing his sword in one swift movement. He then angrily sighed as he realized it was only an innocent nun they had run into. He was quick to apologize, "Sorry, milady."

She smiled in a silly, carefree way, "It is all right. Say, are you lost? This is the third time you've passed the central room of our domain."

_Third time?_ Aurion felt sheepish. He knew Lloyd would get lost as easily as he did, so it must be a genetic flaw. Lloyd was much friendlier than Kratos was, so he was much more accepting of this nun watching them. In fact, he even asked for directions, "Yeah, we're lost. We're looking for the stairwell for the bell tower?"

"Bell tower?", the nun chuckled, "Why would you need to go up there?" She frowned, considering something else, "You don't believe the street tales, do you?"

Aurion lowered an eyebrow, "Street tales . . ."

The nun seemed to understand, "Oh, so you don't know the urban legend. Everyone keeps saying we're keeping a hunch-backed half-elf up there. I don't know where they get that idea . . ."

Even Lloyd was embarrassed at the suggestion they would go hunting for someone like that. He tried making up some other excuse so they wouldn't be taken back down to the dungeons, "No. We're . . .just curious what it looks like."

"Oh," the nun was a little startled, "All right. I have to get clearance for you to do that, so let's go to the Room of Judgment." She began strolling carefree down the hall, beckoning for them to come along. Kratos and Lloyd's hearts were struck with a bolt of fear. Nothing says foreboding and ominous like naming a room 'Judgment'. They reluctantly followed the nun, not sure what to do.

Aurion had to ask, after a few moments of silence, "What is this . . .Room of Judgment for?"

The nun cheerfully explained, "We sentence heretics here. I thought you would know that."

Lloyd was very confused, ". . .how?"

"Well, you are parsons of the faith, are you not?", the nun asked them, "How else would have you gotten up here? Our head Father is very nervous these days, with the Pope on the run and such. He only lets ordained men up here anymore. Well, them, and us actually. But I digress—what church do you come from?"

". . .we're from Meltokio," Aurion suavely lied. He had no problem lying; it was for the success of his mission.

The nun seemed satisfied with that answer, "Well, it's good that someone is still keeping up the faith in that town. It seems that with that harlot of a Chosen running around, everyone is turning from Martel anymore . . ."

Lloyd bit back a laugh, while Kratos remained relatively unmoved by the irony of the nun's sentence. They continued to follow her until they got to a large and heavy oak door. Aurion didn't like the looks of it. The door seemed to be scowling at him. Aurion didn't take attitude from anything, whether it be people, animals, monsters, or doors.

The nun led them inside to a pew in the back. The front looked like a fairly typical court, with large wooden desks and chairs for the parties in legal dispute. The rest of the place looked exactly like the sanctuary downstairs. To their left, there was the main stain glass window of the church. It was a round blue and purple sphere, almost like it was holding the world in its place. It could have been symbolic of the church's absolute rule over the people. Aurion could believe that; entire dictatorships and monarchies had fallen, but the church always remained. It was eternal, even if its founders were not.

Kratos and Lloyd were sitting among the nuns, noticing the attitudes of the entire flock. They seemed stone faced, even their little cheery nun that had led them here. This was total, except for one crying woman sitting next to them. She was weeping into a white cloth that was stained with red something. Aurion filled in the blanks and figured it was blood.

He asked one nun in front of him, "What is her confliction?"

"Novitiate Adnade?", this nun was bored with this question, "She is one of our pupils. It is part of our unfortunate duty to care for the injured that the church wants left alive. She took pity on one case she was working on. She also plead for the release of a woman prisoner, but the high priest turned it down." The nun then coldly added, "She's a bleeding heart. I don't know how I could feel sorry for anyone like that Bryant character or anyone of heritage like that Fujibayashi woman . . ."

Kratos slapped a hand over Lloyd's mouth before his son could start arguing or yelling. He thanked the nun for her information and tapped the novitiate next to him. Calmly, Aurion asked, "May we step out for a moment?" He signaled for Lloyd to stay in his spot. He was going to be as discreet as possible about this.

The crying woman wiped her face clean, then silently stood before Aurion. He felt pity for the girl, which is why he brought her out here. He questioned her, "What happened?"

"What do you mean, what happened?", Adnade cried, "This is cruel! I've had to heal seventeen people, and they kill them all! Surely Martel doesn't want this many sacrifices. What sort of goddess would want that?"

Aurion could have tried soothing the woman, but he was much too rigid at that moment, "Please, tell me. What has happened to the Mizuho woman? Has Bryant been executed?"

"The Mizuho woman? Bryant? He hasn't been, not yet," Adnade restored some hope in Aurion, "He's scheduled to be sacrificed tonight, along with the Chosen Zelos. They've added two more sacrifices up there. Apparently, the angel girl escaped. I do wish she's safe."

"Tell me, who are the other two?", Aurion asked, "And, have you heard of a woman named Raine Sage?"

Adnade's breath caught, "The half-elf? Yes, yes I know her! She was sentenced with Bryant. And there was another girl there, too. I didn't know her, but the head priest did. He was sure foul with her, too. That's why I argued for her release—no one should be that cruel to another person!" She wiped her eyes again, then almost laughed, "She had the funniest name I've ever heard. Foojibayatte? No, that's not it. . .it was the woman from Mizuho, though."

"Fujibayashi is being sacrificed too?", Aurion exclaimed with remorse, "So, they do plan to murder all of them. It's systematic."

Adnade nodded, head lowered. It was obvious she was having conflicts with the church like this. Certainly, anyone with a soul would. She clutched the rag next to her heart, wondering aloud, "If Martel is truly merciful, why does she send angels to take the lives of people?"

Aurion was almost startled, "You disagree with the church, don't you? You're not going to make a good nun like that."

The woman chuckled sadly, pulling her blonde hair back, "I suppose not. This is just wrong. All I wanted to do was heal people, not rob them of their lives . . ."

"Then, do so," Aurion knelt next to the woman, taking her hand. He didn't do this often, but this was a special case. He had to bestow a reward on this woman for being so pure. He declared, "I, Kratos Aurion, deem that it should be eternally so that you and your offspring shall share the powers of mana and healing. May your hearts be forevermore innocent."

Adnade could feel some kind of power flow through her, but she didn't understand. Looking down at her rag, she saw where she had cried the blood had vanished. She touched it again, watching as the bloodstain ran off into innocent white once more. She gasped, unsure what to think.

"I ask only one thing of you," Aurion murmured, "Tell me where the staircase is to the bell tower. Then, I want you to leave this place of villainy and use your new power for the good of all life."

She pointed down the hall, "Turn left at the end of that hallway. You'll find a door at the end, and then open it. It will take you to your friends." She then cradled her rag, and asked, "Are you really the angel Kratos?"

Aurion simply and plainly told her, "Martel is merciful. I am helping her carry out her mercy. It should be the duty of all angels . . .to protect life."

Adnade nodded, and bowed to the angel. She then got up and ran for her life. Kratos was satisfied that with this work, at least someone innocent would be spared. With a dramatic flush of his overcoat, he turned back into the judicial room and retook his spot. He appeared to be praying once more, so none of the nuns disturbed him.

"Lloyd," Kratos whispered under his breath, "Go to the door and exit. I will be with you in a few minutes."

Lloyd didn't question his father's behavior. He slowly got up, bowed to the front, and exited the door without much disturbance. A couple of the nuns quietly commented on how polite the boy was, which made Kratos proud. He wished he could tell his son how much he meant to him.

Within a few moments, he did the same. One of the nuns muttered something about how nervous they seemed to be, but Kratos paid no attention to it. He closed the door behind him, and signaled his intentions to Lloyd. The younger of the two nodded, and he took lead while they were creeping down the hallway. Kratos patted Lloyd on the shoulder, and simply said, "You've matured."

"Thanks, Dad," Lloyd smiled.

They turned the corner softly and found no one was guarding the stairwell's access. Lloyd opened it first, very gently turning the knob and peering inward. There were no guards inside, either. He could hear something faint above his head, so he knew someone was in there. He waved for his dad to come in, and they switched marching orders once more.

Aurion didn't like this. This place smelt like corrupted mana and electrical discharge. There was also the underlying smell of blood, something that never seemed to escape him no matter where he was in the cathedral. He crept up the wooden stairs, no step too heavy to disturb the steps under him. Lloyd took up his father's stance, also being very careful. He kept wondering about the fate of his friends, but said nothing. It seemed that his dad knew what was going on, and that was good enough.

Aurion pushed open the wooden trap door above his head and carefully climbed out of the stairwell. The bell tower was partially open to the world, so snow and pigeons were the first things to greet him. He frowned at the pesky birds and cold and hid himself behind a wooden support beam. Lloyd did the same, looking up to see heavy bells hanging up in the top of the cathedral. He wondered if they would sound so beautiful if people knew what was happening here.

Kratos pointed into the center of the tower, "Look." There was a bizarre growth that clambered up all the way to the top of the cathedral's roof. It looked like something left over from the Great Kharlan Tree's first resurrection, all gross and twisted as it grew. It engulfed a great deal of the floor in roots and even more in the ceiling. It was a living column of plant and exsphere, moving even with the gently vibration of the two humans' footsteps. Aurion frowned—only someone from Derris Kharlan would have placed this hear. Mere humans wouldn't be so foolhardy.

"It's a good thing Colette got away. She doesn't deserve what we're about to get."

Lloyd heard the lament, and he about jumped out of his skin! It was Zelos! . . .where was he? Carefully, he stepped out of hiding, walking around the vine column. He came to get close enough to the thing so he saw that no one else was guarding up here, either. How stupid were these people?

"Zelos, is that you?", Lloyd asked, still cautious about fully coming out.

Someone else responded, "Lloyd? Lloyd, are you okay?" It was Raine.

Lloyd walked around again, asking, "Hey, Professor! It's okay, Kratos and I are here to get you guys!" He glanced up into the ceiling to find more roots hanging down. He immediately found his teacher, hanging upside down by her ankles in the twisted shamble. He waved up, "Are you going to be alright?"

Zelos moaned from another spot, "Get me down! I think I'm going to hurl it all . . ."

Kratos stepped forth, finding the Chosen twisted up in a spot cardinally south from Raine. If he craned his head up enough, he could also see Sheena and Regal hanging directly across from each other. It looked almost like an inverted sacrificial area, with each person representing an element. The style was a little bit on the arcane side of magic, but still applicable.

Sheena twisted to find Lloyd, "It's about time you got here! Are you okay?"

Lloyd laughed, looking for a way up, "Of course I'm fine. Just hang on for a little while longer!" He threw caution to the wind and jumped up on the growth, climbing up it with unprecedented speed. Getting up to the top, he carefully leaned over and cut the root loose that held Sheena up. He grabbed it so she wouldn't fall fifty-five feet to her death and swung her over to the tree, "Can you climb down?"

Sheena dug her hands securely into the growth and nodded. He dropped her support, and she expertly slid back down to the floor. She caught her breath, and then thanked Lloyd, "Am I lucky to have a friend like you or what?"

Kratos decided not to waste too much energy climbing, flying up and immediately worked on cutting Zelos down. The Chosen looked red, like he had been out in the cold for quite some time. He sneezed as Kratos put him back on the ground, sniffling, "Think you could have been a little quicker about it? I don't have any feeling in my fingers or toes."

"Just play around with some fire magic for a while," Kratos couldn't believe Zelos's attitude, "You'll warm up." He tossed him his exsphere, almost his playful way of scolding Wilder. The Chosen went to do that, first defrosting his hair before he got to his toes and fingers. He was sometimes very vain like that.

Lloyd scrambled across to get to Regal, who had been quite silent. He noticed that the convict had entered a meditative state of calm, probably to shut the anxiety and cold out. Grabbing onto the stalk with his hands and lodging his boots in the vine-covered tree, Lloyd took a good swing and slashed straight through the support. Regal didn't respond to the sudden jolt of gravity and plummeted until the vine snapped taut. Lloyd was barely able to catch onto the tree and the vine at the same time, one of his swords falling straight to the bottom. He counted his lucky stars and slid down the tree.

Kratos was able to easily cut Raine loose, too. The healer was grateful for his help, "Kratos, I didn't think you would come for us."

Aurion simply stated, "I came for Lloyd and the Chosen ones. You . . .you're his friends, I suppose. I wouldn't have let you rot here."

Wilder snickered from below, "Geez, could you be anymore of a cold fish?"

"Silence would be appreciated," Aurion snapped back. He wasn't sure that they were completely out of the clear yet.

Both the elder Sage and Aurion checked over everyone to make sure they didn't have frostbite. Kratos even double-checked Lloyd, relieved that Lloyd didn't fall from his position earlier. Miss Fujibayashi was perfectly fine, although a little bit peeved that some maniac humans put her in this situation. Wilder was also okay, although he whined and complained about it. Raine took the privilege of smacking Bryant back into reality (although, it did take a couple whacks from the broom Lloyd gave her.) He seemed all right, although Aurion suspected he had lost some blood from the inflicted wounds on his back.

Aurion took the time to apologize, acknowledging his injuries, "I'm sorry this had to happen."

Bryant was fine with it, "It doesn't matter. The important thing is that none of us are dead."

"I'm quite happy with not being dead," Zelos added, his first grateful statement since Aurion had come to save him. He supposed he would have been a little irked if he had been hanging upside down in the cold as long as Zelos had.

Lloyd looked around, trying to figure out his next plan, "How are we getting down? Could we scale the side of the church?"

Miss Fujibayashi cunningly analyzed the situation, "Kratos could get himself and Lloyd down. I could summon Aska and have him fly us down, too. If Zelos is willing to risk it, we could have him try and tap into his angelic powers and fly someone down, too."

That jaunted Aurion's memory, "Here. Put these back on." He passed back a few more exspheres, and everyone was restored back to power. He gave Zelos the spare shield and sword while Lloyd made sure Sheena and Regal were equipped. It was a good thing they had gotten those materials back!

Raine frowned, thinking, "You know, if this were a Desian base, I could blow the enter place up. Save us a lot of trouble."

"I think blowing up a church is a little drastic," Bryant argued, still amazed by how violent the professor could be. She threatened him with a broom again, and he dropped the subject.

Sage returned to talking with Aurion, "We heard that you rescued Colette, Presea, and my brother. Thank you."

"It's a bit obvious, isn't it?", Zelos crossed his arms, leaning against a column, "I mean, you wouldn't have been up there if the kids didn't run off!"

Lloyd's eyes widened, "But I thought the deal was that if Raine or Regal ran off, Presea and Genis would get hurt! Did it run both ways?" The answer was obviously yes, although it was hard for him to accept, "Wow."

Aurion cringed about it, thinking why young Sage and Combatir were reluctant to run off. They must have known about the two-way standard deals, too. He felt foolish—he had nearly doomed two of Lloyd's friends! At least, nothing bad had happened.

The ninja girl became a little bit nervous, "The past doesn't matter. We have to get moving before—"

"Before what?"

There were at least sixteen Papal knights blocking the exit to the bell tower. Leading them was a man in green and white robes. His large hat distinguished him as the head father and priest of the cathedral of Flanoir. He calmly approached the group, not afraid that they had all been re-armed and were looking ready to jump out the open sides or fight. In fact, he issued his knights to surround the place so no one could escape.

Lloyd snarled at the priest, "You monster! You were planning to kill my friends!"

The elder man laughed at the boy's naïve argument. He softly laughed, "Now, now. I was only doing what was right."

"What was right?", Aurion snapped back, "What manner of heresy is this? Preying upon innocent people is not what Martel would want."

The priest narrowed his eyes at Aurion, "What do you know of the church's doctrine? You sneak in here, disturb the peace, terrorize my helpers, and try to save such filth? Heretics, criminals, murderers—that's what your vile lot is!"

Wilder was not amused, "Oh, come on. I'm the _Chosen_, for the love of Spiritua!"

The head father scoffed him, "Some lot of good you've done us. Besides, I'm only doing what the messenger of the heavens dictates. It's what Martel truly wants!"

"Messenger?", Aurion seemed unsettled, "Have there been angels demanding deaths?"

"Yes, and further more, the deaths of this sorry lot!", the priest growled, "I will help rid the world of evil, or I am not worthy of my title!"

Lloyd snickered, sneering like a cat, "Well, can we know the name of the savior of the world?"

"My name is Caeli Hugo, and this shall be your judgment, sinner," The head priest pointed upward, "Look! The angel of purity arrives!"

Some mystical force parted the clouds above, and even in the cold of winter, something snapped like lightning. A bright light pierced out, blinding everyone standing in the tower. Somebody cried out as the vine column suddenly became animated, alive with power and energy. There was the sound of a few knights running in terror, afraid of their own fate. Aurion struggled to see through the chaos, placing one hand above his eyes.

"**SERVENT OF MARTEL. PRESENT YOUR OFFERINGS**," a voice boomed out of the heavens. It was so forceful that some of the people flung themselves to their knees, beginning for forgiveness. Kratos withstood the new gales coming, growling in anger.

"Angel!", Hugo's voice seemed like a small bird in the force of the angel, "I offer unto you the bodies and souls of the fallen Chosen of Tethe'alla and his companions! Please, take them!"

"**THEY SHALL BE JUDGED**," was the fantastically loud reply. Something rumbled out of the skies, striking the remnant of the tree placed in the cathedral. Divine lightning shot forth, blinding everyone with brilliant white light. The remainder of the knights fled, some jumping over the side of the cathedral to their deaths. Father Caeli stood his ground, not moving even for the force of his goddess's messenger. He wanted to see this first-hand.

Aurion gasped as the light unfolded, and remained awed at the force that had come to strike him and his companions down. Even he, one of the highest seraphim of Cruxis, was not expecting this.

* * *

Author's Note:

_Uh, oh! The dreaded cliffhanger! Who shall save us from the evils of the cliffy? Err. . .never mind. Anyway, if you caught the Tales of Phantasia_ _reference, honk! If you've never heard of Tales of Phantasia, all you really need to know is that it's a Japanese RPG game that came out in 1996-ish and supposedly takes place 4,000 years after Symphonia. O.o Mind-boggling._

_Answer Review Time! _

Satanic Mechanic_—It's cool to be nit-picky! If you can't find a plot hole, how can you write a story, right? _

_Anyway, if it's any consolation, this chapter was 11 pages in font size 12, Times New Roman. That's about three times larger than Chapter 2 was. It may only be 4 chapters, but it's going to be a bumpy little roller coaster. Glad to hear you're still enjoying!_

Bballstar4 & Keisha_—Boo! Fear is good for the soul—sometimes. I thought a lot about what to do with that scene, and I figured Regal would be the kind of guy to throw his life on the line to protect others. Hell, he was the first guy to give himself up in the Tower of Salvation (well, it's arguable that Zelos did, but he was kinda being evil, so . . .up to your judgment.) So, I figured he'd do something like that again. You're going to be feeling sorry for Lloyd in the next chapter!_

Vocalsama_—Don't worry, the hunny-macker will be okay! I like Zelos, even though I'd give him a black eye if he were real. He's dirty humor! Who doesn't love dirty humor? Plus, he's a good guy deep down. And I'm happy that you're enjoying!_

Fox of Light_—Look, another foxy! YAY!The next update shouldn't be too long in the future._

MoonCannon_—I was wondering where you were. :P Isn't suspense fun? This is why I'm not good with fluffy tripe. But, anyway . . .glad you've read it!_

_Now, it's fight time! _


	4. Part IV: War

Part IV: War

"Spiritua?"

Kratos Aurion would have never believed Mithos Yggdrasil would stoop so low as to send the angel of destruction and the first Chosen of the worlds to destroy children. But there she was, gleaming out of the snowy darkness like the cold creature she was. Her hair was long, blonde and curly, somewhat of a cross between Zelos and Colette's hair. She dressed in a pleated white gown, donned with the occasional gold plated armor and bracers. Her gaze was an empty sea-green, haunting enough to look demonic. She had come armed with her weapon of choice—one long two-handed blade.

Wilder's jaw dropped, "_That's_ Spiritua? Whoa, ho—she's . . .wow."

"Are you afraid or turned on?", Lloyd growled to the Chosen. He shook his head, simply confused at what he was seeing. After spending some time going through Welgaia and Yggdrasil's lairs, he had become convinced that Spiritua had long since disappeared or died. But there she was, in fierce glow and anger.

Raine seemed excited for someone who had just met their executioner, "She's just as the records of Palmacosta depict her!" The party felt a little nervous at Raine's enthusiasm.

Aurion frowned, unsure what he should do. He had been sent with some of the parties of many successful Chosens, so he had been there when she had ascended into Welgaia. Since then, she had become an equally successful branch of Mithos's power when it came to assassinations. He was unnerved that he would have to dispatch the angel.

"Spiritua," Aurion asked the angel, "What is the meaning of this? Have you not been abandoned like the rest of us by Mithos? Why are you here?"

Her response was ice, "**HE COMMANDED THIS OF ME. I WILL CARRY IT OUT.**" It was empty, like Presea had been when she was under the power of her Cruxis crystal. That very thought made Bryant shiver—he didn't want to see anyone like that ever again.

Clearly, the head priest Caeli was confused by the argument between the angel and the mercenary that had stormed his cathedral. Backing up Spiritua, he laughed, "You would dare defy an angel sent by the goddess Martel? Oh, there will be a painful demise for you!"

Spritua was not amused by the priest's interference, "**LEAVE THIS TO ME. ATTEND YOUR DUTIES.**" Like a good parson, he quickly fled the bell tower under the angel's orders. Aurion always thought humans obeyed commands too much, but he was glad this one did not buck them. Maybe he could still talk some reason into Spiritua.

Sheena decided that talking wasn't going to get them anywhere, "Guys, we should get ready to fight."

Wilder wined again, "Man, why do we always have to kill the hot ones?"

The cold angel was not about to let her enemies get any sneak attacks in. With one hand on her large sword and the other grasping at something invisible, Spiritua cried out, "**JUDGMENT!**" Bright columns of light shot out of the sky, rupturing the ceiling of the cathedral. A heavy brass bell toppled from the rafters, cut loose by the bright and powerful beams. Aurion grabbed his son and rolled, both avoiding the painful bell as it crashed with a heavy **BONG!** Wilder was also trying to avoid being hit, but was struck on the head by one of the lights. It wasn't enough to faze him for too long.

"You want to have a light show? Fine!", Raine snarled, whipping her broom around a full 180 degrees. She began chanting, and then let her own powers fly, "_Holy Lance!_" Several pink and purple spears shot out to strike Spiritua, but they did little more than pierce her armor. It seemed to only agitate the angel.

Spiritua seemed surprised, "**HALF-ELF? UNUSUAL. YOU ARE MUCH MORE LOGICAL THAN TO BE WITH THESE HUMANS.**" She extended her sword, transforming it into a ribbon of light. It wrapped around Raine's legs, spiraling her off in an awkward spin. The next crack of the ribbon ensnared Bryant's shoulders, but the angel was amused to find the human holding his stance.

"Bit of an . . .unfair advantage?", Bryant questioned, flipping himself backwards. With a swift kick, he interrupted the energy feed binding him, sending it snapping back at the angel. Spiritua did not appear alarmed by his retaliation, merely shifting her strategy. She began charging something in her hand, and then released a bright sphere of energy. It was enough to blow Bryant out the open bell tower, but he managed to catch himself on the bricks of the cathedral wall before he could fall to his death. He counted it as luck and climbed back into the bell tower as best as a man can with shackles around his wrists.

Aurion's mind began spinning, turning ideas around, "Advantage . . ." His eyes brightened as he thought of something, and then grabbed Wilder. He asked the Chosen, "Can you still use your angel powers?"

Zelos was shocked by his sudden interest, "What? Why!"

"Shut up and listen!", Aurion barked, "Get Lloyd's extra equipment, and fly Raine down to the Flanoir Inn. Have her heal up Colette, and then bring the rest of them back with you. We need Yuan here, understand!"

"Ten-Four, chuckles," Wilder joked, shaking Aurion loose, "Yo, Lloyd, Raine! Toss me your shit, and let's fly!"

Lloyd threw off his bag and Presea's axe, tossing it to the Chosen. He caught it with typical flair, and then picked up Raine by the waist. She was shocked that he was being so rough, but she didn't have time to argue with him. Wilder jumped off the side of the cathedral with a cocky cry, "Geranim—AAAH!" He barely had time to react, flashing orange wings out. He was happy that he still remembered how to fly in angel form, "YES! I'll be back with more hunnies!"

Well, whatever works, right?

Spiritua was quickly becoming less amused with the resistance she was getting. Sheena irritated this growing hatred with a sudden guest appearance of her good buddy Shadow. Whipping out her ofuda, Sheena chanted, "_I call upon the envoy from the dark abyss! **SHADOW!**_" The amorphous blob of darkness rattled through the bones of the angel, but it didn't hurt her more than a few mere gashes on the arm. Entertained, Spiritua decided it was time to show off.

Snapping one hand out, Spiritua began channeling some of her mana into the large grotesque tree in the middle of the tower. Small glowing stones burst out of its sides, like miniature orange suns. It snapped up with sudden life, unraveling its top supports to bend and lean around. It was like a plant version of those humans that lost their souls to exspheres.

She commanded it, "**SEIZE HIM**."

Kratos was slammed backwards by the eruption of life, pinned on a church column. The tree's vines began growing around him and into his skin, nailing him in place. He hollered as something pierced his left arm and right foot, and then growled as he regained his calm self. Lloyd yelled in fear, "DAD!"

"**YOU SIDE WITH THE MORTALS. I WILL HAVE TO DELIVER YOU TO YGGDRASIL ALIVE**," Spiritua issued her plans to Aurion, who was now writhing to get loose, "**I SHALL HAVE TO SUBDUE THEM**." Aurion kept trying to cast some spell—any spell—but every time he did, the tree would drive itself deeper and deeper into his wounds.

Fujibayashi roared with anger, withdrawing several cards at once, "You monster!" She led the first assault against the angel, Lloyd following her right flank and Bryant at her left. There was a burst of seals that flew by, continued with a flurry of sword swipes and a cyclone of kicks. Spiritua knocked Lloyd backwards first, releasing another ball of energy from her hand. Then, she grabbed Bryant's ankle and sent a shockwave of electricity through it, blasting him next to Lloyd. Evading another seal, she then snatched Sheena by her robes, hoisting her in the air.

Spiritua taunted Aurion, "**LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT MITHOS HAS TAUGHT ME**." Channeling some more mana, she tossed Fujibayashi into the air and cast a spell, "**LET THE EMBRACE OF FROST ENTOMB YE FOREVER. ABSOLUTE ZERO**!"

It started out just as the youngest Sage's Absolute spell would have—ice caked around Fujibayashi's waist and froze, then burst into sublimation. However, the ice shards came back around her body, crystallizing around her in a small cyclone. It froze all the way up to the ceiling, trapping the youthful ninja in place like a mosquito in amber. Byrant's jaw dropped, while Lloyd was suddenly filled with curses, "Sheena! NO! . . DAMN YOU!"

Lloyd flew at the angel, slashing with a previously unfound grace. It was like watching lightning dance. Both Spiritua and Lloyd weaved across the bell tower, bursts of energy and light crackling as she continued missing the enraged Irving. He landed several blows on her, puncturing her plates of armor and actually causing some serious damage to the angel. She growled, finally finding a place to push back the young boy. Catching him off guard, she unleashed her energy sword once more, plowing him through a support pillar and almost off the edge.

And then the other one went after her! Spiritua barely had a moment to spare between throwing Lloyd off and being intercepted by the convict. Bryant smashed one foot into her spine, pushing the angel backwards a few feet. He didn't give her any time to lash back, diving onto Spiritua and whirling around her again. If Lloyd was the tempest, Bryant was the tsunami fueling his wrath. Spiritua had more luck withstanding some of his blows, but when he managed to smash the angel in the face, she decided to stop him like she had to the unfortunate ninja.

Spiritua wrapped her sword around Bryant again, tossing him back. This time, she followed up with another spell before he could get up. Spiritua hissed foully, "**I COMMAND YE, THY ROTTEN JAWS OF DEATH! EARTH GORGE!**"

Aurion was startled as bricks flew from the ground, building up like stone teeth. They ripped out of the ground in jagged slabs and grew up at twisted angles. With one great earth-shattering move, they clenched together over Bryant's head and fused shut. Steam billowed back, searing across Lloyd's skin even from fifteen feet away. He screeched like an injured eagle, not believing what was happening.

Young Irving spat at the angel, eyes flaring with anger, "You really are a monster! DIE!"

"**MONSTER**?", Spiritua was amused with the boy's poisonous words, "**I DID NOT KILL YOUR FRIENDS. LACK OF AIR AND HEAT WILL.**"

Lloyd cried out again, like a mourning tiger. Not taking any time to contemplate an attack, he raged angrily against her. Every one of his attacks flowed together like a torrential stream, a fluid and deadly current. While Spiritua could stand some of the blows, one strike pierced her in the shin. Blood welled up, a darker color than normal human blood would have been. This mortal was troublesome.

Aurion was proud of his son, "Keep fighting, Lloyd! You must succeed!" He tried twisting loose again, but another vine in his thigh stopped him. He wished he could have at least healed the boy, but he was useless like this.

Spiritua was sick of dealing with the young boy. He was going to get the upper hand if she kept going at this pace with him. She threw herself into high gear, pulling several small cones out of a pouch in her armor. They sailed across the battlefield and around Lloyd, sometimes nicking him in the process. All of a sudden, they realigned to form a cardinal rose around him. Aurion jerked again, pleading, "Let my son go!"

"**IT IS TOO LATE. HE IS TO BE DISPOSED**," Spiritua boomed, then cast one more devastating spell, "**LET ALL SINNERS BE JUDGED AND PURGED FROM THE EARTH. BLOODY CROSS!**"

Small lines of electricity shot through Lloyd's body, holding him in place like puppet strings. They intensified, systematically reeking havoc throughout his body. The young boy bleated in anger, head down in pain. He was bleeding all over the bell tower floor, and that went back up to fuel the cones' damaging attack. It was continuing on, like an eternity of pain.

Kratos cried out in fear, "NO! LLOYD!" He strained against his bonds again, not caring how injured he would be in the process. Even with all his strength and fury, he could not break free from the tree's grasp. Aurion screamed at the angel, "You would kill a child so cruelly! If this is what it means to be an angel, then we truly are monsters!"

Spiritua was not cowed with his anger. In fact, she was rather satisfied. There was a high seraphim hanging from the sacrificial tree that she had personally defeated. And then, there was also a ninja girl sealed away in time, unable to move as she froze to her doom and watched the demise of her friends. After that, she had a true sinner locked away under the incredible power of the earth, struggling and suffocating as it was sealing him permanently underground. And, what was needed to be said about Aurion's son? Lloyd was Yggdrasil's most hated enemy, and she had him dying in one of the most painful ways possible. She had certainly done no less than perfect in securing all of them.

"**I HOPE MITHOS HAS MORE MERCY ON YOU THAN I DID ON YOUR PATHETIC ALLIES**," she even had the gall to taunt him! Aurion was almost on the verge of insanity, shaking as he strained to get loose. He was going to get free, if it meant his own death! He had to protect his son!

"Hey, bitch! Your ugly white ass is still up here?"

_Oh, joy_, Aurion wished Lloyd would have more serious friends, _why doesn't he just drive the final nail in my coffin?_

Nothing is quite as fearsome as the red-haired pimp Chosen of Tethe'alla flying up to fight with a midget half-elf in his hands. The youngest Sage leapt from Zelos's arms while Wilder flew off in a mad dash to save his hunnies. The second group of the back-up unit was Miss Brunel and Combatir, the former exhausted but still wanting to help her friends out. The third came up in a terrifying burst, Raine jumping down to clobber Spiritua with her broom while Yuan dove to help Aurion out.

Aurion suddenly felt very grateful as Yuan chopped him loose with his two-sided swallow blade. Panting, he barely kept standing as he began healing himself, slashes and cuts mending through the power of mana. He felt woozy through his knees, but he had enough strength to fight. Aurion the almighty angel was prepared to raise hell.

Yuan thoughtfully asked, "Are you all right?" Even if he wasn't the greatest friend with Aurion anymore, he still had some kindness for him.

"Okage-sama de," Aurion thanked his friend, then asked, "Did you have any trouble?"

The blue-haired angel smiled slightly, "A couple of Papal knights followed Zelos to the inn. They were easily disposed of." He then tapped his large sword in the ground, "Do you think we could stop talking and get to the part we like the best?"

"Saving the world from evil?", Aurion coyly joked.

Yuan shook his head, "No. Kicking some ass. Saving the world from evil is a close second, though."

Zelos, ever being the single-minded man he was, ran over to the towering frosty pillar that held Sheena up. He whimpered, almost expecting her to cuss him out and scared if she was still alive. Whipping his sword out, he cast one of his favorite spells, "Okay, babe. This is for you." With a sudden burst of fire, Zelos yelled, "_Burn, Baby! Eruption!_"

The power of the fiery spell shot up the column of ice, blasting the top of the cathedral with its heat. In thick sloshes, the pillar began to crumble under its own weight and the fire. Zelos flew up to knock some of the ice loose from around his hunny, expertly carving her out. She coughed as he drug her free from the icy prison, unconsciously clinging to his neck. Wilder always loved this part about rescues—the rewards from the babes!

"Hunny!", he cheerfully beamed, "That wicked witch didn't hurt you, did she?"

With a sudden shock, Sheena pushed away from Zelos. Thankfully, he had almost got to the floor when she did that. She tumbled from his grasp, landing with feline grace like any ninja should. Wringing slush out of her hair, she growled, "Zelos, don't ever do that to me ever again!"

Wilder was confused, "What, drop you?"

"No," Fujibayashi corrected him, "Don't ask stupid questions!" She smacked him again, but he really didn't care. To Zelos, that was her way of saying thank-you. He threw his arms around her again, but she shoved him off once more. Wilder may have been good at arithmetic, but he was a slow learner.

Spiritua's mood had quickly gone back to enraged, "**INSOLENT VERMIN. IT IS OF NO MATTER**." She speared her strange sword through the air, but Wilder and Fujibayashi both dodged it. Zelos shoved his ninja babe aside, urging her to go to Raine and get healed. He knew that he could fight alone, if he had to. Besides, Zelos was more that willing to go aerial—he was getting used to fighting with wings! Sheena didn't like taking orders from Zelos, but in this instance, she decided it was wise. She thought she might have gotten frostbite, and she needed it checked out.

Combatir watched with an eerie calm as both the Chosen and the angels vaulted themselves into the air. She suggested to Colette, "Perhaps you should help him?"

"Well," she paused, almost scared, "Do you think I'd do okay?"

"Raine is here. She will assist you if you fail," Presea reassured her friend, "Go to them. You have a power we do not have. And . . .I have other matters to attend to."

Colette took this piece of encouragement to heart. She had always doubted her own angelic powers, even if they did help numerous times in combat. Noticing the hidden terror in Presea's eyes (and not understanding why it was there), she nodded and took off. She was brilliant on purple and pink wings, flying up to join Yuan, Zelos, and Kratos. Aurion, of course, was concerned for her safety, but he didn't discourage the girl from fighting with them.

Redirecting her attention to the strange sphere of fused rock, Combatir decided to crack it open. She said a little prayer, and then swung as hard as she could. It barely dented the structure, steam hissing from the small hole she made. She continued chipping away at it, now curious what it was. If it was like that strange ice column Zelos had destroyed, then she was going to have to decimate this too.

Spiritua was now very annoyed by the four gnats that were attacking her. Taking advantage of all the years and experience she had as an angel, she could easily outmaneuver both Chosens. She even tripped Yuan up a couple of times, her sword hitting his legs several times in their chase. Aurion was a different case, however. He was smart, and he knew how to fight in almost any situation. Whirling up and down, he continued to stop Spiritua from casting spells, even throwing in a few of his own. They snapped at each other, lightning and fire speaking their hatred.

Genis would have watched longer, but he and his sister had to help Lloyd. He was looking very ill, not responding to their presence. Raine touched one of the cones holding him in place, yelping as it burned her hand. This could have been a big problem, but Genis and Raine were clever. Both began to negotiate some kind of plan.

"The cones are aligned in a perfect sphere, so I might be able to take all of them out with a Spark Wave," the younger suggested, "But what if I hurt Lloyd?"

His older sister figured out that problem, "I can maintain a Barrier spell around him for a little while. It should protect him from most of the damage."

Genis accepted it, "I hope he'll be okay."

Channeling mana through her broom, Raine cast her spell first, "_Barrier!_" A blue shield threw itself around Lloyd, disrupting the electrical currents hurting him. She kept it held up, ready to throw her entire mana into it if she needed. Genis was quick to get his spell up too, "_Get 'em! Spark Wave!_" A perfect sphere connected all the points together outside the barrier and began frying them. In small bursts of electricity, the cones began to fry out from the younger Sage's overpowering mana. He blasted all of them out, and quickly dropped his spell. Raine was thankful for that—she didn't know how much longer she could have held the spell.

Lloyd was surprised to find his friends, "Genis! Raine! You-you're back!"

The younger half-elf smiled, "Of course, Lloyd! Now, we've got to get you healed up." His sister dragged Lloyd out of the range of battle, quickly administrating first aid and whatever other healing spells she could get into him. He needed to at least be back to health before he could fight, but she wasn't sure if he should. He looked exhausted, but then, Colette was battling with very low energy too. She had healed her all she could, and that was what she was going to do with Lloyd, too.

Sheena also came to Raine for healing, but was more concerned about young Irving, "Hey, you okay?"

"You know I am," Lloyd grinned, boasting, "Just give me a few minutes, and I'll be kicking that angel's ass with my dad!"

At that point, more of the ass-kicking was being done by Spiritua than by Aurion. She managed to grab one Chosen and through her at the other one, so both of them were feeling outclassed and weakened. Yuan was keeping up with her, but his whirls and slashes never seemed to do anything fatal. If they inflicted damage on her at all, she kept regenerating and going faster. Even Kratos was tripped up a few times, but it hadn't cost him his life yet. He prayed it wouldn't, for himself or anyone else.

"Genis, I need help!", Presea hollered across the field, pulling her axe back out of the sphere again. Out of the large ten-foot diameter rock spell, she had ripped out a chunk about the size of a watermelon. With the steam clouding her vision and making her sweat, she was going to need assistance. Of course, the half-elf was more than happy to help her out.

She asked of him, "Can you dispel this? I can't keep up my strength."

He frowned, not sure what to say. This Spiritua certainly knew how to cast some pretty nasty spells. He decided to go with Air Thrust, since it would mince up the rock like Spark Wave did with that other strange spell. Not wasting any time, he called out for the spell, and it cracked around the rock like a blender on a hard-boiled egg. Small pieces of rock flew out, making the barrier weak enough for Presea to shatter it with one final blow.

Steam blasted out of the earthen tomb, melting snow from twenty feet away. It made Presea and Genis's hair wilt, but that wasn't a problem. Gasping in surprise, Presea leapt inside the remainder of the sphere, dragging Regal out with her superhuman strength. His chest heaved greatly as he finally got oxygen, barely strong enough to wobble out with her help. Genis was frightened, almost terrified of what might have happened if he didn't come to help Presea.

"Will you be all right?", Combatir asked, carefully sitting him down next to Lloyd, Sheena, and Raine. All three looked shocked at what the children had found, but they appreciated their help.

Bryant was dazed, obviously not all there, "I . . .yes. In time." Raine guessed he had heat exhaustion, and she did not allow him to follow the children back into combat. He was delusional, still wanting to fight. She rebuked him, "I don't care if you can heal yourself! You're going to stay right here until I say you can get up!" Lloyd snickered, glad he wasn't the only one getting her wrath.

"MAYDAY!", Zelos screeched as he crashed next to the giant plant. About a second earlier, he had received the full force of a Thunder Blade spell from Spiritua. He had momentarily forgotten he was flying and gravity hit him before he realized it. Rolling off the ground, he screeched again as a set of vines came down to impale him. He dodged out of the way several times, yelping every time one came too close to him. Finally getting some nerve, he slashed through one vine, watching as it squirmed and died on the ground. Well, that was satisfying.

Spiritua softly laughed as she saw how the combatants were fairing, "**IS THIS ALL**? **I AM NOT IMPRESSED**." Using her sword, she bashed Yuan away from her out a hole in the cathedral's roof. Miss Brunel caught her off guard, unleashing a storm of hammers and Para Ball attacks. For being weaker than the others pursuing her, Colette was keeping up pretty well. Spiritua growled, shoving the Chosen into the tree and watching as she fell down next to the other unfortunate one. Aurion took the time to intercept her with a couple of Demon Fangs, but she caught onto his game and blasted him backwards. He couldn't believe this! Why was she still so powerful after all this?

The youngest sage had been studying this for a little while now. Presea waited next to him, trying to figure out what to do as well. The half-elf kept staring at the tree, wondering why anyone would put this thing here. If it was simply used to kill people, then it was too elaborate and clearly a waste. He remembered the old tales about the Great Kharlan Tree, and suddenly it all made sense.

"Presea," Genis asked, "Do you think this thing could be generating mana for Spiritua?"

The girl thought about this for a moment, "It is possible. At any rate, since we cannot fly, we might as well get rid of the tree."

"Okay, sure!", he always liked it when someone agreed with his way of thinking, "Lloyd, Sheena! How are you guys doing?"

Fujibayashi stood up without any trouble, and she nodded that she was okay. Lloyd called back, "We're okay. Whaddya need?"

"If you can, join us! We're going to go attack the tree!", Genis instructed. Sheena nodded, quickly rejoining combat even with half her strength. The plan didn't make a lot of sense to Lloyd, but he followed it anyway, wanting to help his dad. Raine was troubled that two out of her three patients had just left her, but then started analyzing the tree like Genis and it made sense.

Raine then made her commands, "Colette, Zelos! Get off the ground and provide a distraction!" The Chosens signaled back, then both flew off in a burst of colorful mana. She then turned to Bryant, "I'm going to pester Spiritua. My spells probably won't have an effect on her, but I need to keep her distracted. Get away from me in case she attacks me."

"Is that permission . . .to allow me to fight?", Regal questioned her. She whacked him on the back with her staff, shoving him in the direction of the tree. That was her kind, gentle way to reprimand him and guide him down the right path. Well, as kind and gentle as Raine can be. She then joined in the distraction team, keeping the angel occupied with Photon spells. It even provided as some help to Kratos—while Spiritua was held in place by the spell, he could get in some slashing attacks and even the occasional Light Spear or two.

The younger Sage spear-headed the second half of the team, organizing what he had for attackers, "Presea, Lloyd, I need you two to go in as deep as you can to the tree and hack away at the trunk. Sheena and Regal, I don't know what you can do for damage, but if you can keep the vines from hurting them or healing or status effects or anything, that'll work. I'm going to be out here casting Meteor Swarm."

Lloyd's jaw dropped, "Whoa, Genis! That'll destroy the rest of the roof—maybe set it on fire!"

"I know, I know," Genis nodded, "It's a lot of collateral, but it'll be the fastest way to eliminate the tree. Sheena, if you ever get the chance to summon—"

Fujibayashi picked up on him, "Right, I'll do that. Probably going to go with Efreet, Origin, or Maxwell."

The party then broke to attack. Combatir easily slipped next to the tree, taking great blows to hack it down. One vine almost whacked into Lloyd, slowing his approach, but Sheena neutralized it with a Pyre seal. Bryant let a few vines wrap around his arms, then pulled backwards with great strength and began snapping them loose. Genis began making his incantations, hoping this would work.

Aurion turned his head for only a moment to watch what his son and his friends were doing. He was surprised at their tactic, but it might be useful. Darting back around Spiritua, he spiraled up in another Light Spear, keeping her occupied. She slashed him backwards, still totally devoted to destroying her aerial assailants. Angels could be very single-minded like her, so she didn't seem to notice what was going on.

Yuan was even amused by their work, but he too kept silent about it. The blue haired angel was getting worn down—maybe Spiritua was a younger angel than he was, but she clearly had more health and strength. She blew him back with another ball of light, and then turned her attention on the two Chosens. Releasing a shockwave from her morphing sword, she knocked them away, both shrieking in pain. Noticing that she had a spare moment, she started to cast a spell again.

Kratos was too slow to stop her, "**JUDGMENT**!"

Now more holes began to rupture in the ceiling like before. Several struck the tree and the flying members, but none hit the half-elves casting annoying magic on the ground. Spiritua dove after both of them, planning to disrupt them and kill them all at once. She knew of the fragility of a half-elf, even one that knew spells. The older Sage abandoned her casting when she saw the angel swoop down at her, striking her in the back as she flew by. Miss Fujibayashi saw the angel making strikes and immediately went to protecting Genis so he wouldn't be interrupted.

"**WHAT SORT OF MOCKERY IS THIS**?", Spiritua was not terrified of the summoner ninja, nor of her cards, "**BE GONE**!"

Sheena was preparing to take a beating from the angel when a sudden shine of light went off behind her. Her jaw dropped as Genis yelled out, "Infinite powers, grant me thy strength . . ._Meteor Swarm!_" He couldn't have finished the spell at a better time—Sheena rolled out of the way with the spell caster, both avoiding being impaled on the angel's strange sword.

Bright orange balls of fire began searing the air, warning of the oncoming barrage. The ceiling crackled and gave way as monstrous entities from space began to bear down on the cathedral. The first meteor struck the sacrificial tree, sending it up in flames. Lloyd and Presea barely had time to move before two others barreled down on the tree, Regal joining their fleeing at the last second. Raine, Sheena, and Genis moved out of the way, edging closer and closer to the end of the bell tower's roof as the spell continued. More heavy bells began to fall, clanking in a beautiful and dissonant chord. Zelos and Colette barely avoided them, lucky to have enough skill to fly free.

Aurion watched in stunned awe as one unimportant meteor struck Spiritua, sending the angel up in bright red flames. She screamed in pain, the first mortal thing she had done in excess of at least three thousand years. His heart panged in regret, finally feeling some regret for her. She had been a human like him, but she had been tainted by Mithos's power. Now, she was beginning to remember that too.

"Yuan," Aurion issued, "Get the others off the roof. I don't care how you do it. I'll take care of Spiritua."

Yuan was startled, "Alone? Kratos, you're mad! She will still be dangerous!"

The other angel ignored that, "It will not matter anymore."

Watching his friend in cold horror, Yuan quickly retreated and grabbed the elder half-elf. Sylvarant's Chosen grabbed her half-elven classmate while Tethe'alla's picked up Combatir. In a panic, Fujibayashi had some how managed to summon the air spirits of Sylph, and she, Bryant, and Lloyd were snatched up by the three magical creatures. Aurion's child glanced over at his father, not understanding what he was doing. He kept calling for his dad to come, but he was out of range before the angel even moved.

Aurion turned to Spiritua, marching like an executioner. The angel's robes were tattered by the direct impact, and she was bleeding her unearthly self onto the church. Her tree withered and died above her, falling away in chunks. She looked less like an angel and more like a scared little girl. Never the less, Aurion pushed his feelings aside.

Looking up, Spiritua saw that Aurion had his sword unsheathed. She uttered her first words as a human in over several millennia, ". . .save me."

"We were wrong," Aurion comforted the dying angel, "I want you to know that."

She bent her head down, and then knelt in front of the seraphim. Gently, Aurion braced a hand on her neck, and felt only the slightest tinge of remorse. This had to be done.

He placed his sword on her neck, and ended Spiritua's martyring life.

* * *

The church was still burning as early morning came, a smoking and hissing shell of what it was. Some nuns and monks had survived, but most had not. Certainly, none of the high priests did—they had been struck down by the powerful spells that devastated the holy place. It was likely many of the prisoners could have died as well. So much innocence had been lost, if it had been there at all.

"Kratos, are you ready to leave?"

Aurion merely nodded, still numb from what callous things he had to do. He had spent the remainder of the night guarding Lloyd and his friends in the Flanoir Inn. He missed being able to see his son, and there was a part of him that did not want to leave. Knowing what he had seen at the cathedral, he knew that Lloyd could do well with and without him. He had to go back to Iselia and nurse his wounds, anyway.

Yuan was not happy with his old friend's response. Trying to be comforting, he noted, "You know what you had to do, Kratos. Staying here would only force Lloyd to do the same things."

"What I had to do was meaningless slaughter," Aurion noted, "If we did not go along with Yggdrasil's lie, we could not have had to kill those people."

"We have done many things wrong, Kratos. I've lost several good friends because of my incompetence," Yuan spoke silently, "We've endangered the ones we've loved. We've had to kill them. We've forced others to kill the ones they love. Now, we must accept the consequences."

Aurion asked, "What is our fate to be, then?"

Yuan simply said, "We live with it. We die with it. We become legend, and fade away with it. That's how we will be redeemed."

Aurion stayed mute at this statement, knowing what it meant. He would have to leave Lloyd permanently so he would let the boy live his own life. Maybe it didn't have to be now. But, inevitably, it was coming. That was the price he had to pay—he had to give up his life with his family.

"I left Lloyd a note. Is that all right?", Kratos questioned again.

Yuan laughed once, "Of course it is. Give him something to live up to. Make him be better than you. That's what a father does. That, and protect his son." He paused, taking in the cold night air, "That's what you have done. Now, your life can be complete."

The two angels started walking out into the snowy air of the country, getting away from what they had done. It was quiet for some time, but both were deep in thought. Aurion wandered a little bit, stumbling across all he had lived through. He had never loved anyone like Anna and Lloyd. It was going to be hard to surrender their memories of him.

Aurion smiled, then understanding something, "I let Spiritua off easy by killing her. Living with this pain shall be my punishment. And, it will redeem me."

Yuan couldn't believe his friend's ideals, "Punishment and redemption? That's religion in its purity, my friend. Once you feel bad about something and know it's wrong, then you can be forgiven. Maybe we didn't teach the humans something bad after all."

They didn't debate the subject any further. The blue angel took off in the sky, heading for his base nearby. Aurion watched blandly for a few minutes, staring off between his old friend and the burning cathedral in the distance. Then he flew up and off into Derris Kharlan, going directly through its atmosphere to dear Iselia, where he could rest. He had completed his mission, finishing the war inside his soul.

And his son watched below, taking up his father's sword for his peace.

* * *

Author's Note:

_There you have it. Nothing more to say—and I hope not! Thirty-three pages for a short story? Gack! _

_I'm guessing you all can recall who Spiritua was from the ToS plotline. I always wondered about her existence, so that's part of how this fanfic came about. The sword thing came from a cross between Ivy's Whip-Blade (Soul Calibur II) and Undine's sword. Two of the big spells were mostly based off of Absolute and Earth Bite (with a little Shakespeare thrown in.) Bloody Cross, however, is an existing tech! I saw it from Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, which is basically a little game for the GBA created for the fan boys and girls. I'm guessing it's also in the Japanese version of Tales of Destiny II, since Barbados was using it._

_'Okage-sama de' means something along the lines of 'I'm fine, thanks to you and the grace of god.' It's a very humble way to say 'I'm fine', apparently._

_Anyway, enough of the technicalities. It's review Q&A time!_

Vocalsama—_Did you see this coming? Mhwa ha ha! Well, even if you did, I hoped you still enjoyed it._

Solidorliquid—_Zelos and Kratos just don't get along too well. Maybe they're jealous of each other's looks! Sheena's pretty cool, but I haven't got the knack of playing her down quite yet. And Papal Knights—well, it's hard not to laugh when they yell, "Long live the Poooooope!" I used to call them Pay-Pal knights for a little while. Cliffies are evil, but they make a good story!_

Satanic Mechanic—_My family always gives personalities to everything. I'm sure that's some kind of mental illness. I named my mom's car Binky, for crying out loud! So, that's why I anthro-ize everything in stories. _

_And what good is drama if you can't foil it with a joke every now and then? Zelos is always good for a joke (or the butt of it.) _

Fox of Light—_Revenge of the evil cliffie! Hide your children, and lock your doors! I hope this chapter lived up to your tastebuds for description. I hate that when people don't get their message out, ya know? That's probably why this chapter took up 15 pages! Aie carumba!_

MoonCannon—_Glad you're enjoying, and I hope the ending didn't fall flat for ya! Sometimes, that'll happen. (Like, in the occasional Stephen King novel). _

A.P.Z.A.E.—_Lloyd went through a lot of crap in this chapter, don't you think? Nasty spells, missing his daddy, stuff like that. It's hard being a main lead! Oh, and you need this! (Tosses a Life Bottle) Ya know, for the death by suspense. Sorry, couldn't help myself!_

RavenGhost—_And there you have it! One fresh update! Is it good, or is it very evil? No one knows . . .mhwa ha ha! Hope you like!_

_Next story? I dunno, might be longer—I'm arguing a plot around in my head right now. It'll be a mystery, like Scooby Doo style! With Exbeluas and missing children and etc. Jinkies, Sheena, it's a clue! . . .Okay, maybe a little more serious that Scooby Doo, but still a mystery. And suspense. And hottie Zelosness. Mmm, bishonen . . . _

_Anyway, here's to another fanfic gone astray. Toodles! –Zelda's Fox 38, July 2005_


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